Compressible seals (gaskets) may be used to form a seal between two members of a mechanical assembly, for example between a chassis and a removable cover. The compressible seal may be used to contain or attenuate electromagnetic interference (EMI), or contain or direct cooling airflow within the chassis.
As operating frequencies of electronic equipment have increased, the need to seal off smaller openings and gaps to contain high-frequency EMI has also increased. Similarly, the containment and routing of cooling airflow within the chassis is increasingly critical to the proper cooling and reliability of heat-producing electronic and other types of systems.
Compressible seals can be vulnerable to sheer forces exerted on them by equipment members that may be out of alignment or that have inappropriate dimensional tolerances, and may become detached, deformed, or sheered due to excess sheer force. Failure of the compressible seal may result in equipment malfunctions, including excess EMI emissions and overheating.